Dozens Said Dead In Indonesia Landslides

AP-Associated Press (excerpt, author unnamed)

JAKARTA, Indonesia - Hours of heavy rain triggered landslides Wednesday that killed at least 59 people in western Indonesia, media reports said.

Some environmentalists and government officials say deforestation is often a factor in the disasters, which they contend loosens soils on mountainsides.

(Collapse by Jared Diamond demonstrated that deforestation was the common denominator in the collapse of societies and even entire civilizations. We need to be creating workable solutions to address the unnecessary practice of unsustainable forestry. Check out the Forest Stewardship Council and Waangari Maathai's Green Belt Movement for information and inspiration. -Buddha)